Updates fromthe Office of the Associate Vice President for IT and CIO

August 2018

New software identifies user performance issues on the network: Voyance, a new software tool that increases visibility of user connectivity and performance issues, has been implemented within IT Services to support the Service Desk, Command Center, and network team. This tool gathers information directly from the network and produces alarms when users experience degraded service. Initially, this tool will only monitor Wi-Fi connectivity, but there are long-term plans to expand its use into the wired networks across campus. Service Desk technicians will now be able to better assist users in identifying network issues, and the Command Center will be able to notify the network team so they can quickly identify the source of the problem as it occurs.

Faculty, students, and staff enhance personal and University security: As of July, 2018, more than 30,000 members of the University community are now using two-factor authentication (2FA). The more than 228 percent increase in enrollment followed a multi-month University-wide campaign to encourage faculty, students, and staff to take the important step of enrolling in 2FA. Many of the University’s most frequently used online services and systems, including Workday, the Grants Management System (AURA), UChicago Canvas, Box, G Suite, and the Academic Information System (AIS), now require 2FA for access. This project is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen information security for individual members of the UChicago community and University research, intellectual property, and institutional data.

Launching One Button Studio for Autumn Quarter 2018: The University of Chicago’s first One Button Studio, a simple and easy-to-use video studio that requires no video production experience to operate, has been installed on Level A of the Joseph Regenstein Library. The One Button Studio is based upon similar successful facilities at a number of other universities and allows users to create high-quality video with the touch of a button: first to begin; and again to stop. The work of setting up a camera, microphone, and lights is already done and pre-configured, allowing the user to focus on the content of his/her video rather than on video production. Common uses for students include student assignments, project pitches, and presentations. In addition, as more instructors adopt video recording as a way to supplement their traditional classes, the One Button Studio provides an easy way for instructors to transition into producing high-quality audio and video.